Paradoxes as sons and daughters of God: 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

What a weekend!

·      A new month

·      A new year for students

·      A new year for teachers and employees!

·      Labor Day weekend

I have enjoyed one of the Preface Five of the Sundays of Ordinary Time

·      “For you laid the foundations of the world and have arranged the changing of times and seasons; you formed man in your own image and set humanity over the whole world in all its wonder, to rule in your name over all you have made and for ever praise you in your mighty works, through Christ our Lord.”

I begin with these thoughts

·      Changing of times, seasons, wonders, mighty works

·      And move into some interesting verses

Wisdom

·      You could read this book in the wisdom portion of the Old Testament in one or two sit downs

·      “For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans.  For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns.  And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out?”

o   Answer these questions in your mind:

§  Can we be timid? 

§  Unsure of our plans? 

§  Can we find difficulties? 

§  Or even thinking of our next life—heaven—“Who can search them out?”

o   Well these are deep questions!  But we must look at them face to face!

Imagine a child jumping into the deep side of the pool

·      No lifejacket, no paddles, no bottom of the pool

·      At some point a child must jump into the deep water

·      Do they learn this when they are born?  Well no…they are taught with parents, brothers and sisters, friends, family

o   Lifejacket, paddles, shallow water

In this world, the foundations, changing times and seasons, life and death, we must learn…like a child diving into the deep water

·      Jesus calls us to the deep water

·      Our faith feeds our soul and body

·      Our family walks with each other

o   Whether it is your own family (spouse, children, grandkids, cousins, relatives)

o   Our family as parishes

o   And then is the family in the WORLD

God…praise you in your mighty works, through Christ our Lord